Now, a group called Defense Distributed, a group of young volunteer engineers and designers from Arkansas and Texas are utilizing 3D printing for something they say is unprecedented.

Defense Distributed is entering phase two of their development of a digital file to print a plastic civilian defense system, the WikiWeapon. The WikiWeapon will be capable of firing one .22 round. "We thought .22 LR would be the easiest ammunition for people in an insurgence scenario to get their hands on. It's cheap, ubiquitous, small."

The project is to test and share .STL designs across the internet through file sharing services like BitTorrent. At present the team has developed two prototype plastic handguns: Wiki Weapons A & B.

The Wiki Weapon type A is the training gun- it has no moving parts and relies on an electrical solenoid for firing action. Otherwise the gun is 100% 3D Printable.

The Wiki Weapon type B will have moving parts for its firing action. Initial versions of the gun will be developed down for RepRap printing.

Through this project, Defense Distributed hopes to truly prove information should be free shared. WikiWep will serve to "fight for the civil right of self-defense supported by the free Internet."

Defense Distributed has begun a crowd-funding campaign at Indiegogo to kick-start the printable gun hobbyist movement.

The remainder of funds will be spent on ABSplus material, cleaning solutions, (some) software licenses, and consultations with engineers and developers. ABSplus polymer is essentially $5 per cubic inch for any given build. Multiple production runs will quickly become expensive.

If our entire goal is not reached, DefDist will attempt to build and design from a RepRap printer or Makerbot.

But is this legal? In US "it is legal to produce any category of weapon you could ordinarily legally own, so long as you are not providing it for sale or are not prohibited from possessing firearms in the first place."

In the video below, Cody Wilson, an engineer AND law student in the Drone Star State talked with Michael W. Dean about the project, guns, physics, where the world is headed and what we can do about it etc.

After working in the industry for years I can tell you in Australia if it looks like a firearm, it's considered to be a firearm and subject to all the same storage and licencing restrictions. This is why airsoft hasn't taken off in Oz, and you can't walk into a toy shop and buy a real weight Glock or G36 BB gun like you can in Europe.
Just a warning to anyone considering printing replicas or functioning weapons, if you flash them around you will go to jail or worse end up shot by the police on your front lawn holding your plastic AK-47, they don't stuff around.

Matt wrote at 8/27/2012 2:47:56 AM:

After working in the industry for years I can tell you in Australia if it looks like a firearm, it's considered to be a firearm and subject to all the same storage and licencing restrictions. You can still rob a bank with a replica. This is why airsoft hasn't taken off in Oz, and you can't walk into a toy shop and buy a real weight Glock or G36 BB gun like you can in Europe or the US.
You can't stop people doing what they will, but just a warning to anyone considering printing replicas or functioning weapons, if you flash them around you will go to jail or worse end up shot dead by the police on your front lawn holding your plastic AK-47, they don't stuff around.
Think before you print!

Anon wrote at 8/23/2012 1:30:50 AM:

Do people not understand how bad this would be for 3d printer owners? Do you not realize the kind of legal repercussions there would be for even OWNING a 3d printer ? This is not cool. Gun owners and smiths should already know how dangerous this kind of thing is even with sound materials and historically functional designs.
The last thing people in the open source and home printing world need is the ATF breathing down their necks and keeping an eye on them simply because they own a piece of machienery that almost completly on its own could produce a functional firearm.
Also, you cant claim to be making a printable anything for regular household reprap users when you yourself are not using one. This is not an apples to apples comparison.
I still doubt the functionality anyway. Im not sure, but Plastic and a 22cal round? Those dont sound like good bed fellows. There are too many people preying on peoples fears of an abuse of gun restrictions wile also worried about uncontrolled proliferation, thank you Fast N Furious Failure :/ . So this whole thing is just going to get a LOT of federal agencies peering in on the open source and 3d world, and we're not going to like the result.

Leave a comment:

Your Name:

Subscribe us to

About 3Ders.org

3Ders.org provides the latest news about 3D printing technology and 3D printers. We are now five years old and have around 1.5 million unique visitors per month.